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Anyone in pittsburgh??

8K views 51 replies 23 participants last post by  shaynep 
#1 ·
I was just wondering if anyone around pittsburgh is active on here? I do see anouncements about PAPAS meetings, and i shop at the LFS where they meet but have never been able to attend any meetings. Maybe i just don't catch their members posting much on here.
 
#2 ·
Hello,
I'm a relatively new member of PAPAS, it's a good group you should definitely check it out. I also just joined GPASI and thinking about getting involved in their "AHAP program". I've seen a couple of members post on APC and here but they must all be too busy growing cool plants to post much.
-C
 
#6 ·
Just in time :) Our next PAPAS meeting is this Sunday, 4/7/13. Joe Doyle will be giving a presentation on how he uses plants in his fish breeding. The meeting (should) start @ 2 pm @ Oddball Aquatics. Any questions, feel free to let me know and i look forward to seeing you there.
 
#14 ·
The three independent fish stores I recommend for plants are Oddball Aquatics in Baldwin, Elmer's Aquarium in Monroeville and Wet Pets on Rt 19 south of the mall. Oddball is my favorite since they buy plants from local hobbyist's and are also the location of our PAPAS meetings.

Fyiw, I think Aqya World is pretty dirty and would never get plants there. They r very popular with the salt water people as they often have good frags... But that was ages ago - I haven't been there in a while.
 
#16 ·
Aqua-World is a s.h.i.t.hole, been in there twice and it is literally the worst LFS I have ever been in. They obviously write their own reviews online which disgusts me even more.

I completely agree about Elmers being a great one, I drive from the North Hills out to there. I also like Seahorse in Allison Park, really neat little place with helpful people. I just read some online reviews and damn...obviously they pissed in someones cheerios and they left terrible reviews every two days under spoofed names. I am pretty sure whoever did that needs some mental help.

Oh, and Burtons is pretty good, don't go to the one in North Hills, they have very little there as far as fish/plants but I have heard the one next to Seahorse in Allison Park is pretty good.

I have never been to Oddball, gonna have to check them out, seems like a neat place.
 
#17 ·
Oddball is where i got my planted tank start. I would highly recommend them. I have yet to make it to a papas meeting there, but one day i will. With a wife that seems to have to work every weekend they have a meeting and having a 3 year old its kind of rough.
 
#20 ·
Also in the Pittsburgh area.

Oddball Pets and Elmer's are my two favorite places to go. Been getting stuff from Elmer's since I was a kid. I just got some Pygmy Cory's from Elmer's this past weekend. Both always have some great nano fish to choose from plus a lot of harder to find supplies.

I would agree about Burton's too, local chain, but pretty decent. Selection can be hit or miss by location. The Bridgeville one had great fish selection for a while, but it's recently been more general, perhaps someone new is doing the ordering. The one in Monroeville has a ton a Kubotai Rasboras, and I was told they get Chili's in when they are available.
 
#23 ·
Well I finally made it out to all the major stores in the area. Wet pets was my last stop last night. I think wet pets was my favorite of the stores. The fact that they breed most of their freshwater fish in store was a huge plus, and the tanks are all very well maintained. In order of favorite to least favorite i'd have to say:

1. Wet Pets
2. Elmer's
3. Oddball
4. Petco (@ waterworks)
5. Aqua World

The biggest selection was probably at aquaworld but I don't think i'd ever buy a fish there. Elmer's and Wet Pets had a similar selection and oddball had a slightly smaller, but different selection.

I just wish Wet Pets was closer, its about a 40 minute trip out there for me.
 
#24 ·
I think wet pets was my favorite of the stores. The fact that they breed most of their freshwater fish in store was a huge plus, and the tanks are all very well maintained. In order of favorite to least favorite i'd have to say:

1. Wet Pets
2. Elmer's
3. Oddball

The biggest selection was probably at aquaworld but I don't think i'd ever buy a fish there. Elmer's and Wet Pets had a similar selection and oddball had a slightly smaller, but different selection.
One thing to add - Wet Pets has very high quality fish, but is also probably the most expensive of the stores. In terms of plants, they're okay... I've always been blown away by their selection of fish (esp Salt water), but never their plants... just my two cents. (They're also the farthest from where i live, but if i'm fish shopping, they're definitely worth the trip.)

Elmer's & Wet Pets both get shipments of plants in on a weekly basis. Oddball will place an order more infrequently but they also buy a lot of plant cuttings off of local hobbyists... so their selection is varied (or inconsistent).

Tim Burton's is okay. It's just not a place i go to that often, i admit, as they don't carry the best selection of plants. Also, I admit i've never gone to the Seahorse because i always thought they carried saltwater exclusively... its on my list of places to go visit, but just never feel like making the trip up there... oh well.
 
#25 ·
I tried seahorse about a year and a half ago. Dead fish in a lot of the tanks deterred me greatly. Besides that i remember buying nothing and feeling like it was a wasted trip. I may go look again. I drive past that exit everday twice. I am also going to have to check out wet pets now. Never heard of them.
 
#26 ·
Yeah wet pets is 5 min away from me. Just went in and got two medium sized angels for 10 a piece and got my name put on the list for when they get Bolivians in. Brian is a really nice guy and knows what he's talking about as most of those guys do. Gonna go buy some rummynose that they just got in (200+) next week at 4.99 a pop.
 
#27 · (Edited)
hey guys. glad i bumped in to this thread.

South Hills of Pittsburgh here. i am starting a low tech planted nano for my desk at work and figured i would sign up to lurk. :)

i've been maintaining a mixed reef at home for a little over a year now, but figured saltwater would be a bit much for a tiny tank in my office.

i shop at Oddball quite a bit, like those guys a lot up there. i've also shopped at wet pets and elmers. i'll never go back to wet pets for various reasons. elmer's is a decent shop, but kind of tough for me to get to and from with where they're location in relation to me.
 
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